When the War Came
by TheWhyteRabbyt
Summary: "And the war came with a curse and a caterwaul. And the war came with all the poise of a cannonball. And they're picking out our eyes by coal and candlelight. When the war came, the war came hard." A wasteland near-future, doomed to crumble under the tyrannical fist of an alien race that no one expected. Unless an ex-Invader can sacrifice all he has left to save Earth forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Once upon a time, I wrote an IZ fic and it got mediocre ratings. so here is something I'm working on. It's an extended, burbling brook of writing that will update randomly. Hope you enjoy!**

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_I'm waking up to ash and dust  
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust  
I'm breathing in the chemicals_

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Chapter 1

The _reek_.

The smell was _unbearable_.

Gaz lifted the edge of a sleeve to check her watch. 6:45 p.m. Dib was well beyond late for dinner. He hadn't answered his cell phone or Gaz wouldn't have dragged her trashy car out this way. She decided to wait a bit longer, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel. She hummed a few bars of some unknown song. The grey blanket of clouds overhead shifted vaguely. Gaz's stomach gurgled. Time to find Dib and kick his butt for making her wait.

Gaz kicked the rotting car door open. The hinge on the frame snapped back, causing it to nearly smack her in the face before she stood up. She cursed before nudging the door open again, this time more gently. Her weighty boots crunched on the crumbling pavement as she fluidly slipped her bag over a shoulder while slamming the door shut behind her.

This part of town was an industrial wasteland. None of the older teens even knew if the run-down machines ran anymore. They were coated in rust and their seemingly ancient paint jobs had long since faded and chipped away. The overcast skies lent an eerie atmosphere to the towering pipes and receptacles. Dib _would_ hang out _here_. Speaking of which.

"DIB!" Gaz shouted with all of her strength, her voice echoing out like ripples in a lake. No answer. Sounds of shuffling leaves with creaking branches were followed by an older teen with bizarre green skin bursting out of the nearby stand of trees. A small, green, bi-pedal dog followed close behind, wagging its tongue. The teen was panting heavily.

"Zim, where the heck is Dib?" Gaz addressed the boy as he approached. He waved a hand dismissively.

"Zim does not know… the Dib-beast was right behind and then," he made a motion with both hands, "gone." Gaz took notice of the other-worldly gun in Zim's left hand. She ripped it away from him fiercely.

"What did you do to my brother?" She hissed, narrowing heavily lined eyes. Zim held his hands up in defense.

"Zim did nothing!" He took the weapon back and opened the chamber towards her, revealing foam darts. "It's a nerf gun, see?" Gaz nodded in acceptance.

"Was something following you guys then?"

"Zim thinks it was…a…a… bathory!"

"Do you mean a _banshee_?" Gaz gave him a withering look. Zim shrugged lazily.

"Green idiot," Gaz huffed at the back of her throat and stomped away towards the trees, pulling a heavy-duty flashlight from her bag. Zim straightened up and went after her.

"Wait! Gaz-human!" Zim easily caught up to her with his long strides. His dog chirped, skipping behind him. Gaz rolled her eyes.

"Haven't I told you to just call me 'Gaz' like, a hundred times?"

Zim grimaced, "Ugh… _Gaz_…. It's dangerous to go alone. Allow Zim to escort you. Gir! Defensive mode!" Zim's dog pulled away its fur to reveal a compact, aqua-eyed, silver robot. Gir saluted, his eyes turning red for a brief moment. He waddled to the other side of Gaz. Zim moved to link arms with her. She slapped his shoulder gruffly.

"Do. _Not_. Touch. Me."

Zim gulped, nodding.

The trio marched into the woods, which were unusually dark due to the cloudy skies. Zim trembled and even Gaz gave an occasional shiver. Gir whistled obliviously.

Something was off here… Something Gaz couldn't quite place. It wasn't until Gir stopped whistling did it dawn on her.

"It's too quiet. Dib is awful at stealth and there should be animals out here." Gaz peered into the trees, trailing the flashlight beam across gnarled roots and leafy bushes. Zim snorted haughtily.

"You filthy human pollution probably killed them off."

"Yeah," Gaz responded blandly, "too bad it didn't kill the rest of us yet." They walked silently for a moment before sharing a dark chuckle. After searching for a while, Gaz stomped in frustration.

"Where _is_ that big-headed idiot?" Gir popped out of a nearby bush and frantically waved a shred of fabric around.

"Masta! Look what I found!"

"Yes, yes…bring it here, Gir." The little robot skipped over and placed the fragment in Zim's outstretched hand. Zim held it out to Gaz who ran a thumb over it slowly.

"It's part of his trench coat… I wonder if he's nearby." She crumpled it and stuffed it in her pocket before gesturing for them to continue. They stepped forward with more gusto, worry for Dib building in their systems. They shoved a low bush out of the way and Gaz recoiled, dropping the flashlight and shielding her eyes.

"God dang it, Dib!" Dib was half naked, sitting over a log with a pained face.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He said through clenched teeth, embarrassed. He eyed Zim accusingly. "Well?" Zim crossed his arms.

"The Dib-sister—"

"_Zim_…" Gaz warned.

"_Gaz_ came to tell you to get your stinking earth-butt home. However, you went missing, so…. Well, here Zim stands."

A gut-wrenching sound was emitted from Dib's backside and he groaned. Sweat accumulated at his hairline, fogging his glasses.

"_Zim_… I told you I was going to the bathroom. Didn't you hear me?"

Zim blushed emerald, sputtering indignantly, "It is not the Almighty _Zim's _fault if your voice was too quiet, Dib-stink!"

Dib groaned again and Zim turned away, covering his mouth in disgust. He dry-heaved, his snake-like tongue wriggling around outside his mouth. Impatient, Gaz knocked Zim over, lifted one of his legs, and wrenched his boot off his foot. She threw it between the bushes with determined aim; the boot smashed into Dib's face, knocking his glasses aside. He yelped.

"Listen, Dib," Gaz growled, "I'm wiped from skool, starving for Bloaty's, and all I want is to go home and play videogames. So get your dysenteried butt up and into my car or you'll wish you were never born." More squelching was heard from Dib's side before they heard a zipper and the clinking of a belt. Dib stepped through to the bushes, very much humbled. He made a swishing motion with his index finger and the group moved back towards the path, heading home at last.

After Gaz had piled Dib into the backseat of her car, sitting atop a garbage bag in case of emergencies, Zim tapped her shoulder, his cheeks tinged a bit darker than normal.

"What?" Gaz questioned. Zim ran a hand along the back of his neck.

"Erm… Zim has…allowed his ship to run out of fuel and would petition the Dib-sister for a ride home." He looked at her with pleading blue eyes. She sighed.

"Fine, but only if you _please _promise to call me 'Gaz'." Zim nodded and climbed into the passenger seat with Gir in his lap. Gaz slid into the driver's seat, slinging her bag behind her and shutting the door with a bang. The daylight was beginning to fade and though their dad was never home, Gaz knew he had screens programmed to record whether or not her and Dib made it home by curfew. After all this time alone, she _certainly_ didn't want him coming home to do some latent "parenting".

The car started with a rumbling moan; the muffler sputtered. Gaz pulled it into drive and sped away towards the road and away from this haunting skeleton of an industry. Dib fell asleep shortly; leaving Gaz in the discomfort of Zim's slightly overbearing company. Gir climbed over Zim's head to sleep in Dib's lap, which was fine with Zim. He twiddled his thumbs and glanced sidelong at Gaz.

"So… how is…skool?" He looked out the window, avoiding whatever eye contact might happen with Gaz. She raised an eyebrow and concentrated on the road, which lacked streetlights.

"It's been very…different…since you stopped coming." Truth was: it had gotten really _boring_. Normally Gaz could hear Zim's boisterous rants through the ceiling in her homeroom, which had entertained her (albeit very slightly) since elementary. Zim had stopped attending after ninth grade, so when Gaz reached sophomore year, she had long since stopped paying attention in homeroom.

"Well it would be different, as my incredible existence is no longer there." Zim grinned at his reflection in the window. Gaz inhaled quietly.

"You…could always re-enroll." It was Zim's turn to sigh.

"Gaz, you know that it would be meaningless for Zim to attend without…"

"Yeah, yeah… I know." They had endured this conversation at least five times before. Gaz would hint at Zim's return to skool and Zim would blow it off. She bit her lip, "Tell me why you left, again?"

"Zim's mission was fake. I had no reason to attend that filth-hole any longer." Oh yes… the day Zim's leaders had called and broadcast their big reveal to the entire Irken armada. It was all a big joke to them, but Zim had been crushed… for a day. Gaz had actually expected him to go a little more insane than he was normally, but he had actually…mellowed out. He started making trinket inventions and sold them to different outposts so other aliens could buy them as souvenirs. That had been summertime after Zim graduated ninth. When Gaz arrived for the first day of high skool, the classroom above hers was silent and Dib later informed her that Zim had dropped out. It had been a year since then.

It really wasn't any of her business. Zim was more of an acquaintance than a friend, even if he did hang out with Dib outside of skool. However, she did occasionally miss hearing "you're lying" echoing down from the ceiling panels.

Half an hour later, the little plum-colored car pulled up into Zim's cul-de-sac in front of the glowing green house and squeaked to a stop. The passenger door creaked open, letting in a gust of crisp, early-October air. Gaz's skin prickled with a chill and she flipped the car's heat system on. Zim stepped out, bowing down and giving a small wave of thanks before closing the door and walking off. The faint scent of green grapes lingered in the car. Gaz waited until the alien and his robot were safe inside before pulling around and heading for home.

* * *

"Are you guys going to the Underworld _again_?" Dib nearly choked on his sandwich when Gaz crumpled her lunch bag and stood, Ana in tow. Gaz had befriended Ana in ninth grade, after Zim had dropped out and during the time Dib was taking finals for his Swollen Eyeball officer's permit. One day he came home and there was just this strange, pale girl with violet eyes playing videogames with Gaz in their living room. He hadn't verbally questioned anyone about it. He had wondered, for sure, but somehow he felt that if he actually asked, he might ruin what Gaz had built up.

Ana flipped her silvery hair over one shoulder and put her hands on her hips, "What's it to ya, Dib?"

"Well, you guys have been going almost every _day_…doesn't the machine need a break?" He addressed the second part to Gaz, who tossed her lunch sack into the nearby garbage can. She turned to open one eye at him irritably.

"Dib, I don't bother telling you when to stop hanging out with Zim do I?"

Ana raised an eyebrow.

"Who's Zim?"

Gaz waved her away and placed both hands on the lunch table menacingly.

"Listen, we're just going to kill some vampire piggies and see if Ana can contract some sort of monster virus, okay?" She flipped around and began to drag Ana away.

"That's…incredibly dangerous…." Dib trailed off, scratching behind his ear. Gaz and Ana were both gone and he was sitting alone, looking like the crazy kid he was some years ago.

* * *

"Gaz!" Ana shoved Gaz's head down just in time to avoid a swipe from one of the larger piggies. Gaz lifted her purple visor, sweat dripping from her now-curled bangs.

"Ana, I've got this… just focus on your own." They went back to back, raising their holographic swords and swinging forcefully.

_Splat!_

The piggies were slaughtered and the trip seemed mostly done for the day. Gaz opened her satchel and groaned, disappointed.

"We didn't even get any hags' fingers… what a waste of a travelling crystal."

"I think I may have gotten boggart bacteria though."

"Let me feel your hands." Gaz grasped Ana's now clammy hands in her own. It was nothing too suspicious for being in the Underworld for as long as they had been. She shrugged and Ana followed suit.

"Guess we'll see if I stick my hands on my sister's face tonight."

"Guess so." Gaz pulled out their map and began traipsing down the rusty-colored mountainside. "Let's go see what we can get for these vampire piggy eyes."

* * *

_I can't feel what's in front of me…_

_ Where…where am I? This looks like home, but it's even more decaying than the town normally. _

_Cold wind rushed over Gaz's body and the sky went dark above her. The creaking of a sizeable ship resonated like a gong, seeming to crush her ears. She looked up to see the sky blackened by an enormous alien vessel. Gore dripped from its sides, oozing down the armored ribbing on the ship's hull. Screams began echoing around her and Gaz felt herself jostled along the road. People hit her, but she couldn't feel it. Her mind was foggy until she looked up, finding herself in a familiar Irken's arms. Zim looked down at her, fear in his eyes. Everyone she knew was around her and Gaz let out a silent scream._

"_WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"_

She pitched forward, panting. Sweat made her pajama shirt cling to her back. It was still dark out, but that meant very little in this northern part of the States. She leaned over to check the digital clock on her nightstand.

_6:00 a.m.…Great. Only a half an hour before the wretched thing beeped beyond relief. Might as well get ready for skool._

She pulled on some clothes and headed to the kitchen. She filled a glass with tap water and had just put it to her lips when she remembered her nightmare. The glass slipped from her fingers, shattering on the marble countertop.

_Zim…what did it mean?_

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**Reviews are appreciated if you deem fit to give them!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks you guys Kazehana23 and my dear anonymous guest for reviewing! It's really encouraging :)**

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_It's lonely at the top  
these lonely days  
when will they ever stop?  
This doomsday clock ticking in my heart  
not broken_

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Gaz shoved a piece of burnt toast in her mouth and threw her bag over her shoulder, stampeding past a lecturing Dib on the way to the front door. She grabbed her keys from the shelf and turned to yank Dib by the cowlick and drag him outside. He stopped mid-sentence to cry out in pain, but she ignored him. Her mouth was full anyway.

What did that dream mean? Normally Gaz dreamt about things that other gamers dreamt about. Things like zombies, nuclear bombs, vampire piggies, food. She had never dreamt about alien invasions, even when Zim first showed up. Her brain had no business bringing stuff like that up now! Especially in the grotesque, gritty way it had last night. More importantly though, why was _Zim_ there?

She growled lowly as she turned the key in the ignition. The car roared to life and Gaz decided that if Zim had been fiddling with mind probes or some other stupid invention, he would need a butt kicking. As she sped down the quiet suburban roads, a thick, peculiar fog rolled in on all sides, obscuring all but the nearest structures. Gaz resolved to talk to Zim at lunch that day.

* * *

"You look half dead. Did you sleep all right?"

Gaz blinked into the face of Ana blearily. What had been an oppressive gray murk at seven in the morning was now a blinding fog, lit by the morning sun. It was _horrible_. Ana waved a pale hand in front of Gaz's paler face.

"Earth to Gaz!"

Gaz growled, her head slipping from her hand and landing on her desk with a dull thud. Ana sighed exasperatedly.

"What am I gonna do with you?"

"You could let me die."

"Nah," Ana flipped her hair, "who would take me to the Underworld anymore?"

"Dib might. He kind of likes you, you know."

"He still talks about that Tak girl he met in fifth grade… not that I mind. Dib really isn't my type. Speaking of which, who is 'Zim'? You know that guy you mentioned at lunch yesterday?"

Gaz's amber eyes shot open, suddenly alert. Did she want to go through this now? Ugh… Ana would find out some day anyway. Gaz pushed herself back into sitting and looked out the window.

"He's an…old family friend."

Ana's eyes lit up with excitement, "Really? Does he go to this skool?"

"He used to. He dropped out last year though."

Ana pouted before raising an eyebrow, "Do you…_ like_ this 'Zim'?"

Gaz nearly spat in surprise, "God, no! He's some weird friend of Dib's. The guy has _green_ skin. Green, Ana!"

"Now, now Gazelene… you just said he's a _family_ friend. That's a _lot_ different than just some 'friend of Dib's'… Which is it?"

"Ahem." The two girls looked up to meet the stormy demeanor of their English teacher, who was tapping her foot and glowering at them. "Excuse me girls, but class started five minutes ago." Ana gulped and slid around in her seat sheepishly. Gaz waved her hand, turning to stare out the window once more. The teacher resumed her position at the head of the classroom, her usual sneer forming on her world-weary face. Gaz zoned out like normal, letting some of her violet hair fall over the hand her face was resting on. The teacher drowned on about Shakespeare and his effect on playwrights through the ages. Gaz could care less. She just wanted to make it to lunch, because at that point, she could text Zim and ask him about her dream.

Halfway through class however, something in the parking lot caught Gaz's eye. Zim's Voot Cruiser—poorly disguised as an eggplant-colored Volkswagen bug—pulled into the bus loop haphazardly. Zim burst from the drivers' seat frantically, his wig askew. He ran towards the main office, where he was met on the sidewalk by none other than _Dib_. Gaz immediately straightened up, her interest piqued. Why was Dib—that dirty class-skipper—leaving skool with _Zim_? More importantly: why was he leaving skool early without _her_? She threw her notebook closed in frustration. So Dib got to have a half-day? Why couldn't she?

Well…why _couldn't _she?

Gaz gathered her belongings and stuffed them into her skool-bag before standing up noisily. The teacher looked up from her crumbling old tome icily.

"Gazelene Membrane, why are you packing up when there are still thirty minutes in my class?"

Gaz stomped to the door, muttering over her shoulder, "My stupid brother needs medical attention."

* * *

The scooter made a pleasant shattering noise when it fell from the cliff. Gaz dusted her hands on her dress, preparing to continue the hike up the mountain. After knocking down a rambunctious middle-skooler when she realized the Voot was making no short trip, she had followed the false Volkswagen to the outskirts of town towards the north, where foothills met with mountains at an alarming rate. After they were far from civilization, the Voot had morphed into its small spaceship form and flown to the top of Helena, the undersized mountain just at the start of the range. Gaz had pushed along the pre-cut trail as far as she could until it veered into two paths for hiking only. So here she stood, tightening her bootlaces and cursing her big-headed brother's lack of good communication.

Gaz had long ago given up on the idea of making it back to skool; it was out in an hour and she hadn't even found Zim and Dib yet. The fog that had rolled in that morning was even thicker now, getting colder with the elevation. Gaz pulled her ragged black sweater tighter around her shoulders, wishing she had brought something more substantial. There was no turning back now though, so no use complaining about water under the bridge.

She smirked darkly when she realized her inner monologue had passed a decent amount of time, saving her the boredom of stalking through nature. She pushed some low branches aside and breathed heavily. The last strain of trees and shrubbery faded away into cold, mossy rock formations, slick with mist. Gaz inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the cold and the moist, earthy scent of life. A frigid breeze brushed across her cheeks, tickling her nose with tendrils of her own hair. The breeze carried voices and Gaz cocked her head to listen more closely.

"…first time I've seen this…"

"…didn't…you tell me sooner?"

"Zim does not know…"

Ah, so Zim and Dib were nearby…and they were discussing something important! Gaz secured her bag on her sweater's front button and crawled around the nearest rock face, hoping to sneak up on the older boys. Weaving through the boulder piles, she came across the pair sitting on the gravelly cliff edge with a high-powered telescope between them.

"Aha!" Gaz brought her boot down heavily behind them, hoping to elicit a reaction such as Dib nearly falling from the cliff. The alien and the human both just jumped minutely. Dib stood up once he regained composure, crossing his arms.

"What are you doing here, Gaz? Skool is still in session!"

"I could ask you the same thing Dib, considering you're still a junior and have no business skipping class either."

"Zim said it was an emergency!"

"Well, was it?" Gaz turned to look at the alien pointedly. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, pressing a finger to his chin.

"It…is up to the Dib-stink to explain!" Zim pointed at Dib shakily. Dib gaped.

"Throwing me under the bus, space-boy? I oughta throw you over the…" Dib raised a fist at Zim before pressing fingers to his temples. He closed his eyes as if in pain.

"I _really _wish you hadn't followed us out here, Gaz. We're not even sure _what _this was about."

"What _'what' _was about, Dib?"

"Dib-sister…" Zim's sudden quiet urgency caught the Membrane siblings off-guard, causing Gaz to forget chastising him for calling her something other than 'Gaz'. She crossed her arms.

"Yes, Zim?" The green-skinned teen stood and moved closer to her, twiddling his fingers.

"I called the Dib-human out here today because… while Zim was studying the changing star formations last night, something appeared on the horizon. It was a bright light, only for a moment… and it was gone. However…" Zim trailed off, sliding his gaze out towards the distance.

"What happened after that?" Something was tensing up in Gaz's stomach.

"This morning when I returned to gather my blind and equipment, the light appeared again—this time, closer."

A chill went up the younger Membrane's spine, "What does that mean?"

"Well," Dib cut in, "that's why he called me out here. We don't really know much yet…it could have been a typical UFO, it could have been military aircraft or an ahool… I've written Zim's story and I'm going to submit it to the Swollen Eyeballs when I get home." He waved a small notepad, smiling contentedly.

Gaz shifted her weight and at that moment, something happened. All at once a deafening blast of wind mixed with metallic creaking and what seemed like a dark, maniacal laughter rushed over the trio of teens, knocking Zim's equipment over and flattening the group against the gravel. A blinding light bathed them in its rays and when it turned a sliver, it revealed an enormous, glinting spaceship, coated in lights and metal ribbing. The sound whipped Gaz's hair around her pale face and the feeling in her stomach went numb.

Everything was blocked out when she saw that ribbing on the hull.

"That's the ship! They're going to kill everyone!"

Was it her voice? She couldn't tell over the wind. Dib and Zim both turned their heads to look at her, squinting in the light. Gaz thought she saw Dib mouth the word "what", but she wasn't sure. Then, as soon as it appeared, the ship was gone, leaving them on the cold ground in complete silence. With a grunt of terror and confusion, Gaz launched herself at Zim, grabbing him around the collar.

"What the hell was that thing, _Zim_? It was in my dreams last night—and so were you."

Zim gulped without blinking, staring into her amber eyes with his own pale blue ones.

"Zim does not know… and that is why he is scared." Gaz's arms crumpled at her sides. Dib crawled over and pulled her off their friend into his brotherly embrace, hoping to comfort his baby sister. She ceased blinking, just staring into Zim's face.

She had never seen him scared before. He had always been the cocky, dirt-bag friend of her big brother, cackling about his latest plan to conquer Earth. Even when he had been robbed of his title of "Invader" and virtually stripped of any reason to continue existence he hadn't been scared. He was furious and insulted…maybe even wounded…but he was _never_ scared. Zim feared no one. So why was he afraid now?

Gaz clenched her teeth and furrowed her brows.

"We need to find out what that thing is, because it's more important than anything we've ever been through before." The conviction in her voice was lost on Dib, unfortunately. He cocked his head blankly.

"More important than community service for summoning Mortos der Soulstealer?"

Gaz face-palmed, "Yes Dib, more important than that." Through the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Zim grinning with his zipper teeth and something in her chest pounded roughly. She removed her hand from her face and smiled slightly, the shock of the whole situation overcoming her.

She chuckled.

Dib and Zim looked at each other before starting to giggle as well and before they knew it, the set of teens were sprawled on the rocky ground, cackling insanely. The fog began to clear to reveal the sun fading into the west. They each sat up to wipe their eyes. Zim sighed and picked up his telescope and blind, heading towards the Voot. Gaz lurched after him before she could catch herself. Zim turned and raised the spot where his eyebrow should have been.

"Yes, Gaz?"

"Um," Gaz trailed off, startled for a brief moment at his addressing of her, "just be sure to keep me updated on whatever data you find out about this, alright?"

The alien nodded sagely, an arrogant smirk gracing his lips. He blinked heavily at the younger girl before climbing into his ship and flying away. Dib appeared at Gaz's shoulder.

"That was my ride!"

Gaz's smile dropped into a scowl when she realized that Zim had indeed flown off with the only vehicle nearby.

"THAT GREEN IDIOT!"

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**By the way, if anyone notices any discrepancies please let me know ASAP in a PM so I can fix it. Thanks! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the review, my dear reader hehe. Let's hope I get even more this time. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Don't fret precious I'm here,  
step away from the window  
and go back to sleep_

* * *

"Quiet, Gaz! We don't want to wake Dad up…"

"Like Dad is ever home…" Gaz kicked the final plugs of dirt from her boot soles and scrabbled at the wall inside the front door for the light switch. It had been a very long walk back to skool to get her car and the fog had rolled in again sometime around six. Both the Membrane siblings were cold, damp and hungry, not to mention caked with mountain dirt and leaves. Gaz wanted nothing more than to grab a leftover slice of pizza and take a hot shower before sleeping as much as she could before her alarm went off. Dib had complained the whole way home, too…so her hackles were raised an extra notch. When asked why he didn't have Zim's contact number after all these years, Dib had simply shrugged and said it was the principal of the matter. Gaz had decked him in the face. Now, finally home, Gaz let out a sigh of relief—until the light in the living room came on by itself.

"Welcome home, _children_. I trust there's a scientific reason for you being out so late?"

Gaz blinked into the light and noticed that there, sitting in the grubby old leather chair to the left of the couch, was none other than the absentee father himself: Professor Membrane. She groaned disappointedly. For the last several years, Gaz and Dib's father had secluded himself at his lab more and more… usually only returning home to discipline the children for breaking curfew or blowing something up. It was usually fairly minor (except the one time he had to deal with allegations against Gaz for breaking a boy named Iggins' legs), but this time, the tone of the professor's voice had an unprecedented edge to it. He sat back in the chair—which was rather too small for his lanky frame—with his arms crossed, his expression as unreadable as always behind his unmoving safety goggles. Gaz caught sight of an official-looking paper glinting in one of his gloved hands.

"Aw!" She hissed, hanging her head in defeat. Dib slinked by, hoping to bypass the situation. The professor turned his head sharply towards the boy.

"Don't think you're escaping this, son. You have just as much fault as my dear daughter."

Dib sighed and the two children approached their father, feeling very small all of a sudden. Membrane slowly unfolded the letter in his hand and read aloud.

"To the parent or guardian of Gazelene Membrane:

We are sorry to inform you that your daughter has failed to keep her grades at a standard level. Since the beginning of the current skool year, her homeroom classes (U.S. History and Grammar) have declined at a steady rate until this week, where they finally reached a failing percentage. We are writing to inform you so that you may take action as swiftly as possible.

Sincerely,

Town Skool Board." The scientist snapped the letter shut with finality and eyed (or so it seemed) Gaz with concern. "Is there a reason for this, Gazelene?"

"Yeah, Dad… I hate both of those classes." Gaz rolled her eyes behind her heavy lashes. Professor Membrane stood abruptly, taking a wide stance.

"Daughter, I have had an _incredible _amount of leniency with you through the years, ever since your mother—"

"Don't bring Mom into this!"

"Gaz…" Dib had turned to look at his little sister's face, surprised to see tears welling in her brown eyes. She clenched her teeth and wiped her face with the back of a sleeve before continuing.

"Don't…bring Mom into this. She has nothing to do with this family."

"Daughter…"

"No! She may have contributed to it in the past, but what I do in this day and age is solely because I feel like it... There is nothing you can do to change that. And, saying you had leniency on me? That's just an excuse for bad parenting! You were never here; _that_ was your leniency! You only came home when you wanted to take us for some stupid TV promo for a new invention, or some gala event to show us off like we were just prize research," Gaz had stomped towards the staircase, ascending a couple steps, "It's too late to try and parent now… We both graduate soon and then we'll just be out of your life!" With a final jeering hiss, she ran up her stairs and down the hall to her room, slamming the door behind her. Membrane put a hand to his forehead, exhaling somberly. Dib moved closer and placed a hand on his father's arm.

"She's just tired, Dad. It was a really long day for us," he chuckled awkwardly. The professor murmured and patted his son (who was still much shorter than him) on the head.

"No, son, I'm afraid she's right…" the weary father ambled towards the kitchen, "it is far too late to try and exert my will—whatever its intentions—on my children, who have grown so much." He disappeared through the doorway, leaving Dib in the cold room alone.

* * *

Meanwhile, a very green alien with a very cocky attitude was reclining on his only Earthling furniture: a pale green-blue couch. He stuffed a sugared stick into his mouth lazily before pulling off his black wig and scratching at his antennae. He purred, twitching a foot and grinning behind his snack. The night-turned-day had been a long one for sure… hiking all the way back to the industrial district to refuel his ship, flying to the top of Helena to set up a base camp, flying home to catch a few Zs, then flying all the way back, only to be startled by that freakish…incident. Zim was tired now and certainly in no mood to research what that…_thing _from earlier could have been. However, the Dib-sibling was very distressed about the whole thing….

He took the stick from his mouth and rolled it in his sugar cup before sucking on it once more.

The Dib-sibling… She was an interesting one for sure. It seemed like only yesterday on this space-forsaken rock that she was growling into her juice box and threatening to doom anyone who came too close. She had been quite formidable, back in the day. After Zim had gotten the call, however, she started to become…different, at least where he was concerned. She had been a little gentler; a little more forgiving of the small things. Goodness, she had even downright _encouraged_ him when he started his small business of selling trinkets. She _had_ always been a fan of his contraptions, though….

Zim chewed the stick, sorry that there was no more sugar coating. He sighed and set the cup aside, stretching his limbs before getting up to stalk towards the lab. Memories of the growth treatment flashed through his mind.

It had seemed so simple. A few tweaks of some PAK wiring, download some new coding for biological make up. However, when all was said and done, it _was_ a process, after all. It took several years, although that certainly helped cover Zim's extraterrestrial tracks. First, there was the entire month of July after fifth grade spent in the lab, hobbling about on the rolling back brace. Then it was Christmas break in seventh grade to graft in new bone for his legs. The worst memories were of having to find the right _parts_ on the black market.

Zim's antennae twitched at _that_ particular memory before slotting it away for another time.

Just after eighth grade graduation, he lengthened his arms and finally, just at the end of August before ninth, he enlarged his skull, hands, and feet.

A process it was, indeed.

Zim opened his natural, ruby-colored eyes to stare at his reflection in the elevator shaft walls. A light flickered somewhere, lending the scene a relatively spooky feel. Zim brushed it away, straightening his rubberized gloves in preparation for all the typing he was going to need to accomplish before seeing the Membrane siblings again. Heaven knew that they would be pressing for answers—answers that Zim wanted to be prepared to give. The elevator shuddered to a stop at the final floor, the doors sliding open with a faint _whish_.

"Gir!"

"Hiya Masta!" The robot launched himself from somewhere in the ceiling's mass of wires, landing nimbly in front of the ex-Invader. He raised a tiny hand in salute.

"I want you to fetch me all the literature we have dedicated to planet's technology that rivals that of Irk, as well as fetching me a cup of maple syrup." Zim marched through the lab towards the enormous computer at the opposite wall, where he sat in the swivel chair and began striking away at the keys. He opened several windows to begin his research of all races to develop high-level technology in the last ten years. He was certain that the boosters on the ship they had sighted were the same as the ones used on the Irken mothership, which would mean they were of…

_Beep-beep, beep-beep!_

Zim swiped away all the windows to answer the urgent-sounding video call. The number was blocked, or he might have ignored it. He sighed loudly.

"Please tell me this is important."

"Z…. Zim! Where are you…?" The connection was absolute rubbish, mostly static intermitted with a blurry image from inside a spacecraft. Zim huffed, "Is that all?" The image suddenly became clear, revealing a pair of familiar faces.

"Zim! Thank Irk!" Tak pressed a hand to her temple, "I have been trying to contact you for days!"

"Why, exactly? Didn't you want to kill me last time we met?"

"Unimportant, you galactic nuisance," the female Irken snapped before a crease of worry returned between her brows, "Listen to me; I don't have much time."

"Then shut up and get on with it!"

"I _am_! Listen, Earth is in terrible danger!"

Zim's antennae twitched. Was the Armada finally making its way to these far reaches of the galaxy? Would there be a possible chance of reinstating his title…? No, he couldn't think that way. To hope was to be weak, which was something Zim would not stoop to.

"Why is Earth in such 'danger'?"

"Because the Irken Armada has been _destroyed_!"

"What?"

* * *

It was just so _terrible_!

Gaz kicked her tires irritably once more, wondering why today of all days her car had to break down. It was too dark to see what the problem was and she was going to be late for skool if she didn't leave. Dib wandered back up the driveway from the sidewalk.

"We really need to go; are you sure it won't start?" Gaz whirled on her older brother, opening her tired red eyes a sliver to glare at him. Dib cowered, "Okay, don't doom me before first period! Let's just go." She nodded sleepily and the pair descended into the freezing October fog. Overnight, what had been a dense, obscuring fog was now a soupy thick mist that was so heavy it felt like one could take a bite out of it. Dib inched over the edge of the curb to check for the crosswalk.

Screeching tires sounded in the distance and a pair of light beams penetrated the fog. Gaz yanked Dib back onto the sidewalk just in time to avoid Zim's Voot Volkswagen skidding to a stop in front of them. The smell of burned rubber lingered in the air. Zim kicked the door open and flew out to grab Dib by the shoulders.

"Dib-stink!"

Dib whimpered groggily, "It's too early for this, Zim… I have to go to skool…"

Zim slapped the boy across the face, "Listen you pitiful human! The ship we saw last night—there is going to be more… Bigger ones! Hundreds of them!" Gaz shoved Dib aside and stood in Zim's face.

"What do you mean, 'more'? Why?"

"Because," Zim took her small hands in his own, staring into her face with fear in his eyes, "the entire race of Irk is in shambles… something more powerful destroyed them last month."

"What is more powerful than Irk?" Gaz's eyelids grew stiff. Zim looked away.

"A race that we conquered long ago, in the soft years of their abundance. It's a long story; you both need to come with me." Dib stepped forward, jabbing a finger into Zim's arm.

"We can't afford to miss more skool. Our dad came home yesterday, totally pissed."

Zim pulled at his wig in distress, "This is so much _bigger_ than your pitiful education system, Dib! I mean what I say when I ask—no, _beg _ you to _please come with me_!"

"All right, let's go." Gaz climbed into the passenger's seat of the Voot and buckled herself in. Dib moaned and tried to coax her out.

"We _really _need to go, Gaz."

"Shut up, Dib. You're either coming with us or going to skool alone. If you try to stop me I'll doom you to that most recent nightmare world I've carved out for you." Dib gulped before clambering over the driver's seat into the cramped back. Zim slid in beside Gaz and shot off towards the house at the other end of town.

Beams of light shimmered across the street before disappearing into the mist behind them.

* * *

"Long before I was banished for my embarrassing failure in Operation Impending Doom One, before the present Tallest ascended to the throne of Irk, Almighty Tallest Mayuki conquered a race that was similar to our own, but much more advanced. Their abilities were renowned across nearly all of space and there was not an electronics store that did not sell their inventions. Because of their similarity to our own planet, Irkens regarded them with hatred more deep-seeded than our PAKs… We wanted to overtake them, so we waited.

Tallest Mayuki drained the government's coffers to support our desperate need to build the highest quality weaponry we could manage. Through time and underhanded trading with the corsairs of space, Irk developed all it needed to sweep across Vort and decimate the planet. They had become weak in their wealth and were killed off easily… and when Mayuki herself made the climb to their king's throne, she wrested the knowledge of their technology from him before rending his head from his shoulders. It was a bloody time for Irk and that entire quadrant of our galaxy, but Mayuki made fast work of her information and the wound we created was seared shut with our new power. Mayuki blazed a trail of control through time and space until she eventually died of exhaustion, leaving the throne to My Tallest Red and Purple."

Dib sat at the edge of his seat with a notebook, scribbling fervently. Gaz sat back in her chair, eyes closed but listening carefully. When it seemed as if Zim had finished, Dib looked up, "What does that have to do with us missing skool?" Zim threw his soda across the room, standing and slamming his fists on the table.

"Almighty Zim was not finished, Dib-stink!"

"Sorry."

"Now then," Zim cracked open a new soda, "My current Tallest continued the enslavement of the Vortian people. Those who did not comply with the new dictatorship were thrown in their own prisons, where many did not return from. Unfortunately for your filthy planet," Zim looked intently at the Earthling siblings, "many Vortians escaped inside trash barges and managed to escape to a cold little unnamed planet, where their queen was in hiding. That was still far before I made it through Invader's training, so they've had plenty of time to regroup and make a plan to take back the universe."

"How does that affect us?"

"Because," the alien leaned forward in his seat, "they are planning to take Earth first."

* * *

**As always, if you see any mistakes let me know so I can fix them! Thank you for your time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Halloween readers! Hope you're spending it better than I am... I broke my phone haha. First thank you to Kazehana23 for continuing support. Second I'd like to address ngrey651's concerns for my choice in the Vortians for the "big bad", per se.**

**I'm not going to ask you to agree but I will state my reasoning. While in the show we didn't see any violent tendencies, while I was researching the different species within the franchise shortly before starting this story, I read notes from development about the back story to the Vortians. Irk did steal much of their technology and then conquer them and throw them in their own prisons, and they do harbor great resentment towards Irk because of that. I thought they would have good motivation for a counter-conquer so to speak. They want revenge for their fallen empire. I would also like to point out that just because an alien race wants to conquer another planet doesn't necessarily make them 'war-mongering tyrants'. They just want to stop Irk, and an insignificant planet like Earth is not going to stand in their way. I hope this doesn't stop you from reading my story, but if it does I'm sorry it had to be that way and I hope you find something more to your taste in the future.**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

_With all the grain of Babylon  
To cultivate, to make us strong  
And hidden here behind the walls  
Are shoulders wide and timber on  
'Til the war came_

* * *

Dib fainted.

Gaz nudged his ribs with a toe, "He must've over-excited himself again." She exhaled quietly before taking a sip from the grape soda Zim had set before them. She set the can on the table with a faint _clack_ and leaned forward, her amber eyes boring holes into Zim's garnet orbs. He cocked his head, raising his antennae.

"A question on your lips, Gaz?"

"So about this whole 'planetary takeover' business…. You've been a part of things like it before… how does it typically go down?" The human girl's voice had a softer tone than normal; it slinked its way down every fiber of Zim's antennae and echoed with a hidden worry in his head. He slipped from his chair to kneel before Gaz on one knee. He lifted a hand to gently cradle her cheek. To an outsider it might have seemed intimate, but to one who knew the bizarre group of teens, it was more like a doctor or father figure examining a child for signs of illness. Zim ran a finger under Gaz's eye, where a bruise-like crescent shape had formed courtesy of her restless nights.

"Dib-sibling, you haven't been sleeping enough…." It was a blank statement, lacking any real meaning, a phrase to pass the time. Gaz raised an eyebrow at the alien before gripping him around the wrist and pushing his hand away.

"What would you know about human sleeping patterns, Zim?"

"I've lived on this planet for seven years, Gaz-human. I have to _know_ these sorts of things."

Gaz huffed and looked away before murmuring, "So…we're all going to die, aren't we?" Zim stood and pulled her up onto her feet. She blinked up at him. He inhaled slowly.

"We do have some time to prepare…. The Vortians are still massing their new armada in preparations. They will have to travel and coordinate before they can strike."

"How long do we have then?" Gaz didn't mean to let her voice crack. Zim rubbed a finger along his chin.

"Mm… A year." Gaz's head snapped up.

"That long?"

"Yes, Gaz-human, that long. So, enjoy your skool days while they last. Wear your Hallow's Eve costume, eat your disgusting human food for the Giving of Thanks and worship your fat man for Christmas... Come the first of the year, you'll notice as things change." As he talked in his peculiar, Zim way, Gaz's eyes slowly filled with tears. She bit her lip in anger; Gaz Membrane didn't cry! Yet, here she was in Zim's kitchen, listening to the prediction of the end of the world. Yes, even _she_ was allowed to cry at news like _that_.

So Gaz leaned her head on Zim's grape-smelling chest and let the quiet sobs wrack her body. The alien boy grimaced at first, unsure how to comfort this worm-baby in his arms. As she cried, however, a warm feeling began to spread through his chest. He wrapped his arms around her more tightly and held her close.

How far from being an Invader he was.

* * *

The weeks passed and Halloween came. Every day in class it became harder not to scream. Gaz had broken several pencils already over the burden of knowing what was to come. She glared at all the oblivious _fools_ who went about their business. The popular girls in their revealing animal and nurse outfits, boys dressed in a penguin suit or a banana peel costume… they didn't know what was going to happen in a year's time. They didn't know that next Halloween, they'd be hiding in shelters and screaming as an alien race swarmed Earth.

_Snap!_

Another pencil, gone. Gaz chewed her tongue as the day's end bell rang. The students filed out of the room noisily, squealing about their plans for the night. Some would go Trick-or-Treating, some would go to parties and get as wasted as they could and some would go home to do what they did every night. Normally, Gaz might pity the people who couldn't celebrate the beloved holiday, but this year was different. This year, she actually wished them well on their boring, candy-less night.

She stared out the window and observed the black, ominous clouds that had begun rolling in sometime after lunch. It was going to rain this Halloween.

It didn't really matter though.

Gaz pulled her bag over her shoulder and wandered the empty, echoing halls of the skool. She absently wondered where Dib had run off to, but remembered that he had dropped out to begin working at Membrane Labs after learning of the impending invasion. At first the professor had been skeptical, but then Dib brought in the disk of Tak's video feed that Zim had lent him. Their father had changed his tune and preparations had begun. Dib dropped out when they needed another genius to help manufacture weapons.

Gaz blinked her heavy lashes, her thick boots squeaking on the tile floors.

Thunder rolled.

* * *

"What are _you_ doing here?" Gaz dropped her skool bag next to the coat rack upon entering the dirty two-story house. Seeing many small children dressed as witches and pumpkins on every doorstep, she expected. Having Zim sitting across from her brother and father, she did not. The alien boy leaned back in his seat, a serious set to his face. He did not immediately respond and the rather responsible look on his face made Gaz trip over her words.

"W-why is Zim here, Dad?" The professor turned in his chair, waving cheerily at his daughter.

"The little green boy is filling out paperwork for his employment, dear daughter!"

Gaz wished she was still holding her bag so she could drop it again, "What?"

"Gaz, he's going to work for Membrane Labs. We need all the help we can get," Dib stepped in. He stood up and poured steaming hot chocolate into a new mug from a nearby kettle. He offered it to Gaz, who downed it in one gulp and threw the mug across the room. She stomped forward into the kitchen, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"How come you guys get to make all the decisions without me?" The group of males looked at each other awkwardly. Dib rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, we thought you might want to…not be so involved." Gaz whirled on him.

"Not be involved with trying to protect my _planet_?"

"Well, you aren't really interested in science you know…"

Gaz hissed through clenched teeth, "So what you're saying is, I'm useless, then?"

"Daughter…."

Gaz waved a hand dismissively and wandered away. She would spend this Halloween like she did every other: playing her Game Slave and eating a bag of Reese's peanut butter cups. She kicked off her boots as she shut her bedroom door behind her and climbed onto her bed. The warm comforter seemed to reach up around her, enveloping her in soft protection. She whipped out the hand-held console and began tapping at the little purple buttons. As a loading screen appeared, she reached under her bed and pulled out a candy bag, absently unwrapping a peanut butter cup and stuffing it into her mouth. The quiet music from her game blurred with the murmuring voices of her family and Zim below. The rain outside pattered against her curtained window. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating her messy room. Despite the pressure of existence, Gaz eventually fell into a peaceful sleep, her game slipping from her hands and onto the bed.

A couple hours later and her door creaked open. A hand slid around to grab it before it crashed against the wall and a shadow appeared in the dim light. Zim crept into her room a silent as a cat, careful not to wake the wrathful girl. He shut the door behind him; it emitted a dull thump. He sat at the side of her bed and examined her. Zim had been hoping to explain that she wasn't involved with the preparations because he had specifically asked for it.

Somewhere deep inside, Zim had protective instincts and they had reared when Dib had suggested of speaking to Gaz about him applying first. Zim wanted her to be able to experience more of her human development before ripping her from normalcy. Dib had experienced tenth grade, so it was only fair that the younger Membrane did too.

Or maybe he just wanted her to stay the same as she always was.

Her chest rose and fell in perfect rhythm as she slept, a quiet snore escaping her every few seconds. A small smile spread across Zim's face and he reached out to brush her hair from her face.

"Sleep well, Little Gaz." Zim stood and pulled a throw blanket from the end of Gaz's bed. He flicked it into the air and let it settle across her small form before taking her Game Slave and folding it shut. He placed it on the shelf above her bed. A floorboard creaked.

"Who's there?" Gaz's soft voice filled the room, deafening in the silence. Zim held his breath. Slender fingers groped in the darkness and, finding his stomach, gripped his tunic fabric roughly.

"Dib?"

"No…it's not Dib-smell…"

"Zim? Why are you in my room?" There was an edge to her voice. Zim worked fast to appease her anger.

"I came to explain…."

"Then _explain_!"

"I want to keep you at ease… that's why we didn't bring you into the plans."

"What?"

"I just want you to try and finish the skool year… just be yourself and try to go about your normal business." Gaz's fingers relaxed and let Zim's shirt go.

"Do you think I can do that, knowing the world is going to end?" Her voice trembled in the darkness. Zim knelt on her bed, his ocular implants providing him stronger vision. He caressed her hair gingerly. She flinched.

"No, Gaz-human, I don't expect you to be able to do that. However, I would like it if you tried."

"Then come back to skool."

"I can't do that; I have to work with your father. But… I will allow you to visit me at my house whenever you wish."

She was silent for a moment, before nodding and making a quiet noise of assent. She drifted back onto her pillow and Zim waited. After a minute or two he detected her even breathing once more. He sighed in relief and turned to go away, but not before doubling back to brush his lips gently over her forehead and retreating out of the room.

* * *

November came and went. December brought snow and people who were inappropriately cheery. The holiday season was sickening as always, yet Gaz approached this month with deeper vigor, knowing that she could speak to Zim whenever it got to her.

She actually hadn't taken him up on his offer yet. She kept meaning to, but every time she left skool and sat in her car, deliberating whether or not to take the drive and visit him, she stopped and went home instead. Occasionally she would drive out to Helena and check the horizon for signs of the coming assault. She never saw another glimpse of the Vortian scouter, however. She felt happy on one hand, but would be disappointed on the other when she remembered what was coming.

Christmas happened and the town was filled with festivities. Gaz locked herself in her room all winter break, home alone. Other people got to spend the time with their families, gorging themselves on unhealthy food and opening presents. Gaz got to stuff herself with an extra-large pizza and open packages she had ordered herself from eBay. Dib and their father came home late every day, or sometimes not at all. Sometimes Dib would tell her of a new bomb they had created, but if she hinted at being allowed to go with him to the labs, he would change the subject and wish her well at skool.

Then Christmas Eve arrived, and Dib and the Professor came home.


	5. Chapter 5

**My goodness, I apologize for taking so long to update. I was caught up with work (retail during the holidays, ugh) and now my computer is falling apart so I have to earn money to buy a decent one for myself. You probably don't want a string of excuses, though, so I hope you enjoy this slightly-longer chapter and please review! I'll try to update sooner next time but we'll see what happens. I apologize again. On with the story!**

* * *

_Declare this an emergency  
Come on and spread a sense of urgency  
And pull us through  
And pull us through  
And this is the end, the end  
This is the end  
Of the World_

* * *

Gaz tried her hand at cooking spaghetti before the Professor and Dib got home. The water frothed up after she put the noodles in the pot, causing her to get slightly nervous and grab the fire extinguisher from under the sink. However, the soapy bubbles boiled down after a few minutes and she was safe once more. Time passed as she heated a jar of tomato sauce in a pan. Gaz stared idly out the window as she stirred half-heartedly.

The snow that had fallen this year was unpleasant and crunchy; it was more like a crust of icy crystals than actual snow. The cottony grey clouds that filled the sky were a different story. They had settled in mid-November and, other than releasing the occasional sheet of slushy rain, had not budged.

The stove beeped loudly, jolting Gaz from her reverie. She turned the heat down set the strainer in the sink before sloshing the noodles into it to dry. She fished one out with a fork to sample a bite.

Chewy, but not too much.

A victory against cooking! She poured the drained noodles into the now-cool pot and stepped out into the back yard for some fresh air. The stinging chill of winter bit into her rosy cheeks, making her eyes water. A bird tweeted happily in an evergreen nearby. If this had been any other year, Dib would have been on the roof with binoculars searching for werewolf signs or in the garage fiddling with Tak's ship. The moron, after all this time, still hadn't figured out that Gaz had fixed it long ago using her technopath abilities. Dib was always searching for the paranormal—everywhere but right in front of him. Gaz breathed into the evening, her hot breath curling out in tendrils of steam. Two months had gone by fast in hindsight; she almost didn't feel the emptiness of the house. Gaz sighed once more, then stretched and entered the house for a nap.

* * *

_Gaz pushed aside some gossamer material in front of her. It coated her hands and stuck to her dress when she attempted to rub it off. The place she was standing in wasn't dark, yet for some reason, Gaz could not focus her vision. She shuffled forward cautiously, her boots skidding along the ground. Wherever she was, it was very wet. Drips flicked up onto her stockings, soaking in against her skin and making shudders run up her spine. All of a sudden, Gaz's foot caught on something squishy, sending her forward onto the heels of her hands. She landed in more of the squishy _something_; it burst and she sank in wrist-deep._

_ To her horror, Gaz's vision cleared._

_ Corpses. She was crawling around on hands and knees in a pile of _corpses_. Gaz turned and retched, further adding to the pile of grime. Most of the bodies were half-obliterated as well. Splotchy bones, eviscerated rib cages and stripping, dangling muscles were mixed up in a noxious stew of macabre horror. The reek had emptied her head of any cognitive ability; all Gaz could do was scream._

* * *

"AAAAGH!"

"Gaz, it's me! It's all right!" Gaz was yanked forward into Zim's strong arms, her face pressed against his chest. Zim rocked her gently, cooing softly. She was still trembling, half-formed sobs rasping from her throat. She clawed at the alien's back, clinging to folds of his tunic. She was drenched in a chilled sweat. Zim pulled away cautiously, slipping his fingers into Gaz's purple hair to support her. Tears and sweat mingled on her cheeks, giving her pale face a pearly sheen. Her brows were knit in terror and she breathed too lightly through clenched teeth. She opened her eyes suddenly.

"Zim," a barely-audible question whispered in the dim light. He nodded vaguely. Gaz sharply pitched forward, clasping Zim around the back of his head. She crushed her lips against his.

Zim did not fight. He glided his hands across her back and breathed his fresh, sweet scent around her. He did note with a faint pleasure that their faces fit together like a matching set. Gaz made a quiet noise of appeasement after a few moments and pulled away, tears still clinging to her lashes. Zim brushed his hand against her soft hair.

"I-I don't know why I…" Gaz mumbled, embarrassed.

"It's okay," Zim whispered, "I know." He wrapped her in one more hug and stood fluidly. Gaz rubbed the back of her head, raising an eyebrow. She looked at Zim pointedly.

"Why were you here anyway?"

"I came to see if your foolish human sibling returned to spend this holiday's eve with you. I realized he did not when I discovered the uneaten food in your kitchen and you sleeping here… alone."

Gaz raised her amber eyes, "Will you stay?"

"Until you fall asleep or tell me to leave." So Zim wrapped Gaz in a nearby blanket and reheated her valiantly-made spaghetti. He sat beside her at a comfortable distance while she devoured the plate in her lap. When she finally began to nod off again around one in the morning, Zim carried her upstairs and tucked her away safely. He sighed and leaned against the bedroom door after closing it behind him gently. He waited a few beats before slicking his wig down and heading downstairs, texting Dib angrily.

_"Why are you not here with your sister, Dib-stink?"_

His communicator beeped in response, "_Why tonight? Is something wrong?"_

"_It's Christmas Eve, you pathetic excuse for an earthling!" _

Zim's device beeped remorsefully, "_I forgot. I'm sorry. On my way." _Zim snapped the communicator shut and left the Membrane home. An hour later, Dib unlocked the door and went upstairs, leaving a handmade card at his baby sister's bedside. He ruffled her hair with a bittersweet smile and went to bed, hoping to make it up to her on Christmas Day. The Professor followed soon after, smiling wearily at both of his resting children.

* * *

January first. By this time, most of the world knows of the coming invasion. Powerful world leaders set about readying their respective countries. Membrane Labs joins with the other major research and weapon development companies to prepare for the Vortian attack in ten months. The earth's governments create new treaties and alliances, as well as passing reformed weapon laws in the United States. The media is kept busy with garish celebrity stories and while citizens appreciate the new laws, they remain in the dark of what is to come.

* * *

Christmas break ended as soon as it had arrived. Gaz returned to skool to complete midterms, but was met with a strange surprise. The irritable homeroom teacher was very solemn, holding a folder of paperwork as if it was a death sentence. Her bony hands trembled with the burden of the knowledge scrawled across the papers and there, at the end of the folder, was the bundle of replacement tests. The teacher cleared her parched throat, silencing the mass of students chattering about their winter break. The blank eyes stared forward with curiosity. What could their teacher possibly have to say that made her seem so nervous? She placed her hands on the worn wood desk in front of her.

"While most of you were expecting to be taking this class's final, the skool board has recently received word that the government is pulling all basic final tests from the U.S. skool districts."

The class inhaled loudly, preparing to cheer.

"_Before_ you start rejoicing, the government has already prepared a new test."

"Awww…."

Gaz straightened up, "What's different about _this_ test?"

"Excuse me?" The teacher sighed.

"Why did they change the test?"

At this, the homeroom teacher scooped up the lovingly-paper clipped packet and floated across the front of the room, depositing stacks of booklets at the front of each row of desks. A blond boy with a backwards cap wrinkled his nose and looked up in confusion.

"Placement tests?"

The silky-haired girl next to him cocked her head, "Placement for what?" The teacher, after resuming her position at the head of the room, sighed once more.

"And now," she stated dryly, "is the bulk of my announcement. The U.S. government is reforming the skool system. It will be a _complete_ overhaul."

"Why weren't our parents informed of this sooner?" A boy with glasses that reminded Gaz of Dib spoke up from the back of the room. Their elderly teacher snapped at him.

"Because it just happened this morning! Now… the tests you will be taking today are placement finals, their outcome will decide which of the new classes you will be transferring to. However, some of you may not be returning to skool at all…." Normally, the students would have sung with happiness, but the pained note in their educator's voice gave them pause. They noticed the glittering tears at the corners of her wrinkled eyes. Some bit their lips, some clenched their lithe, hi-skool hands into fists, but Gaz smirked bitterly, her teeth glistening in the light from the clouded window. She coughed lightly into her sleeve before speaking clear and concise.

"Why is such a _drastic_ thing happening so _suddenly_, Ms. Bloom?" Gaz's brown eyes burned into her teacher's grey ones. Ms. Bloom (who had thankfully been named) grimaced, suddenly realizing that Gaz, being the daughter of the one and only Professor Membrane, most likely knew everything that she herself had just learned that morning. That cruel girl, asking a question none of the other students had the brains to ask. How dare she put her in this position? It was too late to back-pedal out of it now. Thirty sets of eyes were burning with desire for knowledge.

Knowledge that she couldn't give them.

"That's classified government information. You will find out soon enough." As the class moved to riot, she snapped the instruction booklet forward and yelled.

"Sit down and turn to page one!" The class grumbled each in turn, pulling out their pencils and opening their tests. Gaz scoffed and stared out the window, wondering what had become of the alien that plagued her mind since she had seen him last. A frost crept across her heart. Zim wasn't going to get his wish for her—the skool year was going to change much faster than they had hoped.

"Where are you, Zim?"

* * *

The frosty mist bit into the ex-Invader's cheeks, sizzling against his alien skin. Viny, twiggy branches whipped across him as he ran. However, he had to ignore the scratches on his face, because if he did not run, he would not live. The worn soles of his boots slipped on a wet rock and he fell. Military training kicked in; his fall was jarred by his hands shooting out in front of him. A jolt of pain shot up to his elbows and his arms trembled.

_Don't faint_, Zim panted mentally, _just keep going…._ A glow illuminated the bluish moss in front of his face suddenly and with substantial effort, he managed to shove himself away. A column of flame erupted from the forest floor ten feet up, consuming all in its path. Steam and the aroma of burning leaves curled around the Irken, reminding him of the situation once more.

Zim was not on Earth.

But time was not an option right now; a fact supported by the mechanical roar that echoed in the distant, foreign trees. Zim gasped for air and pushed himself into a sprint. At long last, the foliage broke away and Zim stumbled onto a rocky plateau that seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness. The wretched planet's thin atmosphere crushed down on its surface ominously, stifling life with the deep blackness of space. Yet still that robotic moan reverberated through the forest, proving the ex-Invader's hunch correct.

The Vortians were attempting to colonize the entire Milky Way galaxy before the full-scale assault on Earth. It wasn't the most effective strategy he'd heard of, but if they had managed to develop a decent method for speeding up growth rates, it could be catastrophic. Not only would it quickly increase their number of soldiers, but it would also give them a solid foothold in this area, making them hard to crush permanently. Not without completely removing any trace of the planets they colonized. Zim stomped a foot in frustration: he needed more time! Earth was in no way prepared for this, despite the speedy advancements they had made in the past year.

_Bang!_

Trees were falling now; the Vortian Colony Scouter was close. Zim pelted out across the stone plateau, making a final break for his cloaked ship. Yes, he desperately needed more time.

But time was not an option.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Ana burst into Gaz's field of vision, waving homework and textbooks around like a zoo animal. Gaz squinted with calculated effort before glancing up from her notebook briefly.

"Oh, hey Ana."

"Don't 'hey Ana' me! You've been a Zombie for weeks and you haven't invited me over for horror movie night or an Underworld mission since the beginning of the skool year. Normally I wouldn't press you for info," Ana's voice lowered to a concerned whisper, "but I heard rumors that the skool wants to suspend you." Gaz looked up again, slowly processing the information, her expression unchanging. Some twisted form of conscience at the back of her mind suggested that maybe Ana deserved to know what to expect after summer holiday. Gaz respected that Ana was certainly different from most humans beyond her strange appearance, but would she actually be able to grasp the truth? The truth that in so few months' time the skies would be filled with gore-strewn ships and God knew how many lives lost? Ana's silvery hair glinted in sequence with her purple eyes and Gaz realized that Ana would be able to handle the news almost bet than her.

"Ana, we need to talk."

At lunch, the pair of friends sat in the skool courtyard rather than the cafeteria. Gaz started at the beginning, her first dream, pausing occasionally to explain why Dib had stopped coming to skool and why she had stopped caring about obeying the skool authorities all together. Ana's eyes were wide as saucers the entire time, shining as if a film was playing in front of them. She didn't seem scared though, just focused. When Gaz finally finished, she sighed as though she had relieved herself of a heavy burden. Ana only nodded vaguely. She turned to stare into the distance with glassy eyes, appearing to survey something on another plane of existence. For a moment, Gaz wondered if her friend had slipped into some form of denial.

"Ana?"

"I'm fine; it's just…" she smiled grimly, "I knew already."

"What?"

"I dreamt it last year, same as you. I didn't want to say anything in case it worried you. I thought you didn't know."

"You sly dog," Gaz chuckled, "here I was thinking you had gone into shock." Ana seemed to flinch at the statement before shrugging and turning away once more.

"No, not shock. Mourning, maybe." Ana's sudden shift in tone startled the purple haired girl. Mourning? Wasn't it a bit too soon for that? No one had died yet…right? Gaz choked out a question.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I thought you would say that," Ana smiled peacefully. "When the Vortians arrive, Gaz, I'm going to die."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you readers for your time and support! The next update won't take nearly as long now :) Enjoy and review please!**

* * *

_This emptiness I've made my home_

_Embracing memories of dreams long gone_

_One last caress from the corpse of love_

_Is all I want_

_Underneath the cyanide sun_

* * *

Professor Membrane was many things. When he wasn't thinking up world-changing creations, he thought of himself as very cultured and sophisticated. He spoke several languages, had spent his youthful years exploring foreign lands and gaining allies, and had even prevented a war by proving that the offending country's missiles would not even be effective. Then, through his time of massing glory, he met a beautiful woman. She seemed to be even more high class than he was and her lush, royal purple hair betrayed how valuable she truly was. So the young professor with so much potential settled down. In time, his lovely wife gave birth to two amazing children: a boy named Dib who was very excitable and a girl named Gaz, who was the spitting image of her mother. The family was happy… or so it seemed.

The professor's first love had always been his work: lady science. While he loved his family and they were vastly important to him, Mrs. Membrane knew that were something to force him to choose, science would always come first. After ten years married to him, the knowledge that he didn't love their six year old son and five year old daughter as much as his prestigious lab began to wane her strength. Then, one day, the gorgeous, high class wife of the world's most renowned scientist went out and… didn't come home. According to Dib, she had left to visit a friend, but when the siblings were waiting for dinner, she didn't return. When they woke up the next day to go to elementary skool, she still wasn't there. Professor Membrane was deeply involved with work, so it wasn't until a week passed did a teacher call him to inquire why the children hadn't been coming to skool. Then the awful truth was revealed; the Membrane children no longer had a mother.

Gaz had been a much different person back then. That wasn't to say she was outgoing or loved pink, but she was very content with a warm (if small) personality. However, when she learned that Mommy wasn't every coming back, her fragile, five year old spirit broke and she became the introvert she was today. Dib, who didn't change, tried desperately to console his baby sister for a while but when he looked to the Professor for comfort himself, the father only shrugged and said some things in life were just that way. After all: he had work to do. So time passed.

Professor Membrane was many things, but he was not prepared for the information his big-headed son shared with him on that foggy day in October. He was not prepared to stand before President Man and explain that aliens did—in fact—exist and were going to arrive in a year to destroy Earth. He was not prepared to say that these particular aliens were one of the most advanced races in the universe, adept at technology and chemical warfare. He was _not _prepared to say that they possessed a gaseous weapon with effects akin to cancer.

He just wasn't prepared.

Professor Membrane slammed a rubber-gloved fist on his desk, rattling his dusty coffee cup and sending research folders flying. How often had he told Dib to give up on the supernatural and study "real science"? How often had he crushed his only son's dreams because he thought Dib's beliefs were a farce? How awful a father he had been… but it was too late now. The children were grown and his beloved wife had been gone for just over a decade. The Vortians were coming to conquer the planet and there was nothing he could do to do to protect his children, or the earth he cared for so deeply.

* * *

It was time. Gaz couldn't take it anymore; she needed answers! Well, maybe not _answers_, but she needed to talk to Zim. He hadn't updated her on the situation in so long and he hadn't even broken into the Membrane house once to check on her.

_Maybe that was a one-time thing_, she muttered inwardly. She closed her eyelids with heavy deliberation as a flush came to her cheeks in partnership with the memory of her frantic kiss with the alien. How his surprisingly soft lips hadn't resisted at all but followed her inexperienced lead. The way Zim's chronic scent of green grapes and warm sand had completely enveloped her, fogging her head and making her want to kiss him even more. Best of all was the feeling of his slim, elegant yet strong arms cradling her gently, banishing the nightmare that plagued her.

The black-clad girl's cheeks were _thoroughly_ reddened, now.

She had never delved into her thoughts on the Irken; she had always been too afraid to learn what her feelings were towards a friend of her brother's. Apparently, she felt more… _intense_ than she had expected.

Her car went over a bump and Gaz began to slow down until she parked in Zim's driveway. She opened the door—which creaked in protest—and walked up to the front door. Zim's lawn gnomes whirred with their mechanical gears with a wary air. Gaz smirked dryly and raised a gloved hand to knock on the bright purple door. Just as she heard the robo-parents rumble to life inside, a small, not entirely relevant realization came to her mind.

Was that Zim's first kiss?

"Hello, Zim's friend!" The robo-parents greeted her in unison.

Gaz rolled her eyes, "Is Zim here?"

Robo-Mom turned and called sweetly into the depths of the house, "Zim! One of your little friends came over to play!" One of Gir's well-known shrieks echoed up from the lab and after an alarming amount of banging and the sound of breaking glass, Zim's sarcastic voice drifted from the kitchen.

"Mom, I've told you a _hundred_ times since I fixed… Zim is over seventeen Earth years old… he does not 'play'." Zim stopped short as he noticed Gaz standing in the entryway. Dark emerald colored his cheeks and his red eyes shifted around uncomfortably.

"Oh…. Gaz-human…." He removed his hand from the bundled of rags and mechanical part he was carrying to rub the back of his neck. Gaz crossed her arms.

"It's _'Gaz_', now are you going to invite me in or should I throttle you from here?" He eyes narrowed to a dangerous squint. Zim sputtered and dropped is parcel.

"What are you throttling_ Zim _for?"

"For abandoning me!" The uncomfortable pause after Gaz's outburst was broken by her tiny sniffle. She continued quietly, "I haven't seen you for over a month and it's too hard to find time to speak to Dib." She moved closer to Zim, closing the front door behind her. "I've been completely alone and my best friend just told me she is going to die…. I just needed someone else who _knows_… I need to talk to _you_." Her amber eyes flickered and met with Zim's. He chewed his lower lip before sighing.

"Zim is sorry…. I was travelling for a lot of that time… but if you wish to speak with the Dib-smell, he is downstairs."

"_What_?!" Gaz seemed to erupt with a fiery wrath and if Zim had possessed a bladder, he might have wet himself. As it stood, he didn't and couldn't and was very grateful. He gestured with trembling hands towards the kitchen, gulping.

"Feel free to speak to him…"

Gaz barreled past the alien and into the kitchen, stomping the lever for the garbage can and jumping in, descending to the lab as fast as she could muster. As she was lowered through the pink-tinged glass tube, Dib's voice echoed through the vast workroom. The elevator coasted to a stop and Gaz's heavy boots cuffed against the metal-tiled floor with a heavy, wet sound. The violet-haired girl navigated the server farm with the smallest taste of caution, knowing that Zim's insane little robot was lurking somewhere in the shadows.

_Why doesn't Zim light this place better?_ It was true: Zim's choice of red lighting made the already creepy room appear straight out of a horror movie. Just as Gaz thought she was going to hyperventilate, Dib's voice spoke up just around the corner.

"I know this really isn't the time…" he murmured.

"Dib," a familiar female voice seemed to say warningly, "we already talked about this A full-scale _invasion_ is going to take place against your planet in _eight_ Earth months and you're sitting there asking a female of different species to accept your under-developed, fetal, misguided feelings of love. Find a human mate, for Irk's sake!" Gaz heard a weighty thud akin to a fist along with Dib's more insistent voice.

"There was only _ever_ you, Tak!"

So. It _was_ the female Invader from their childhood.

"I only every felt close to you…. You were the only person who took the time to know me. After you left, I just….never saw anyone else like that." Gaz peered around the corner to see the female alien roll her amethyst eyes, her mouth drawn taut in disgust. Tak had her arms crossed over her chest, drumming slim fingers on her bicep. The background looked like a shady bar with dusty orange lighting. A bottle of _something_ was on the table Tak sat at.

"Dib, don't you remember how that _whole_ thing was a façade? How I used you in order to appear human? How I possessed absolutely _no_ feelings for you?" Gaz watched as the backlit silhouette of Dib shook with emotion and Tak placed an exasperated hand on her forehead. Suddenly, a smaller, fatter Irken appeared behind Tak. He huffed in frustration when he took note of the camera.

"Are you using all my spare changed to dial Zim's lab _again_?" Tak's eyes went wide and her cheeks darkened to forest green. She glanced sidelong at the camera before grunting and reaching towards the screen. Dib jumped to his feet.

"Wait!"

But the screen was already blank; a morose, flat grey. Dib sank back into the cushioned office chair and let his head hang. Gaz noticed she was holding her breath—with hope for Dib or impatience, she didn't know. She frowned and straightened up, pausing to adjust her jacket, then stomped forward as loudly as she could. Dib flinched and spun around.

"G-Gaz!"

"You freakin' _idiot_!" Gaz charged forward, landing a muted blow on her brother's shoulder. "How could you leave me in the dark for so long? Looks like you've had plenty of time to talk to _other_ people!"

"It's not like that, Gaz!" Dib stood, towering over his baby sister. Gaz worked not to lose her nerve; when had Dib gotten so much _taller_? She bared her teeth in irritation. Dib glowered.

"I love her, Gaz…." That foolish, naïve confession... Gaz couldn't stand to hear it. Here he was, her older brother. Her whole life he had been the only person she could count on. When their mother left them, he had stayed by her at night until she was old enough to tell him to leave. He had cooked her food, made sure she had clothes and on her latest birthday, he had even talked their father into buying her a car; a luxury he had passed over on his own sixteenth birthday. So why now…was he leaving her? Without realizing it, Gaz had begun to cry. She wiped her eyes with a sleeve sloppily.

"You don't know a thing about love, Dib."

Dib sneered, "Why is it so hard for you to let other people be happy? I'm going to be eighteen soon and then I'm going to move out. You gonna try to stop me then, too?"

"No," Gaz inhaled deeply, calming her nerves. "I'm going to stop you right now. Don't bother coming home again; I'm selling the house."

Dib's face went blank, "Selling… the house? You can't do that. The house belongs to Dad."

"Watch me" Gaz turned on her heel, her shoes squeaking on the floor. She stalked away into the darkness of the lab. Watching her go, Dib felt his anger boil up inside his chest. He shouted after her.

"Who would want to come home to you anyway?" Gaz stopped, not turning but standing very still, gripping her arm pensively. Dib continued, knowing she was listening.

"Aliens are invading in eight months and all you care about is yourself! You've talked tough your whole life but you're the weakest one out of us, falling apart as soon as a nightmare hits you. I tried to be there for you ever since Mom left, but I was only met with your overreactions and violence. You want everyone to bow to your needs but you have no room for anyone else's. So screw you, Gaz. See if I care if you sell the house; the only one who will be hurting is you." His voice cracked at the end, sizzling with emotion. Dib half-expected Gaz to turn around and hit him, but she slinked away, her black coat melting into the dim light. Dib stood for a moment, trembling in solitude. The hair on his arms stood and he felt the leather from his trench coat brush back and forth over it with every panting breath.

A metallic tinkling made its way towards the teen and Zim lowered himself from his spidery PAK legs, his face bearing a slightly hurt, wary expression. He took a small step towards his human companion.

"You couldn't possibly mean that, human…."

"Mean what?" Dib snapped.

"Those things you said to your human sibling! How could you say that to Gaz?" Zim's tone of voice grew frenetic. Dib moaned and moved away from the alien.

"Everyone fights, Zim… and sometimes we mean what we say. Gaz had it coming for a long time."

Zim recoiled in revulsion at the bitterness in his friend's voice. He hissed quietly.

"You have no business treating her that way at this time! Who knows if either of you will survive come October? Don't you humans have some sort of _bond_ with your sibling thingies?"

"Yeah, well why do _you_ care so much, space boy?"

Zim only pout as his cheeks slowly turned dark green. Dib scoffed.

"Unbelievable." He started to walk away. Zim called after him in a dark sense of déjà vu.

"If you don't get your priorities straight, Dib-stink, then don't expect any help you might have received otherwise when the time comes." Dib turned around in a flash, his brown eyes stormy.

"Is that a threat, _alien_?"

"No, it's a promise. Stop being a fool and apologize to the only person who gives a Meekrob's backside about you."

"Forget it."

"Then please inform your father of my resignation from Membrane Labs."

"You… can't…" Dib sputtered at the realization that he would no longer have access to Zim's galactic contact system, and by consequence, his green goddess. Zim smirked ruefully.

"It's funny. You accuse Gaz of so much selfish behavior, yet forget that you are the only person she could have learned it from." His face turned to an ominous glare, "Now get out."

And Dib left.


End file.
